A proposal to legalize slots-like skill games in gas stations and restaurants got an initial thumbs up Monday in a Virginia Senate committee. But in an unusual move, the bill is being detoured around the Senate panel that usually deals with gambling regulation.
Lawmakers raised several concerns Monday with the proposal to lift Virginia’s ban on skill machines, asking how convenience store cashiers could be the frontline enforcers of rules meant to prevent minors and gambling addicts from playing the machines. Some pressed for more stronger transparency and oversight provisions to track how much money is going into each machine and ensure everyone involved is being treated fairly and getting their correct share of the profits.
